A CHECK UP FROM THE NECK UP

I want to talk about meditation, why it’s so important to do and how it has helped me.  Most of us focus so much on the external world that we rarely pay attention to our internal landscape.  When you do that you become disconnected, fragmented and lost.  And what can result from that are things like anxiety, depression and lots of self-doubt just to name a few.  Now some of us had to do that because of the environment we grew up in.  So we learned to dismiss our own needs and our own knowing.  But it’s critical to quiet down the noise and get back to the silence.  Why?  It’s when we do, that we get centered and more balanced and it’s a gateway to answers and guidance.  When this happens it usually leads to more happiness and peace.  Now some of us are afraid to get quiet because we don’t want to face what we hear and know inside to be true.  I get that.  I was one of those people.  But there’s no one that cares more about you than yourself.  Now meditation is not new.  It’s been around for thousands of years.  There is so much data that supports why it not only helps you on a physical level but also helps your mental and emotional well-being.  I will tell you that when I first started it was hard to sit still and quiet my mind.  But the more I did it the better I got at it.  Just like anything new in life; the more you practice the better you get.  And now I crave it every day.  I’ve noticed that my intuition is much sharper, I get clear on things and I am much more at peace.  It really does help you get into a flow. 

An interesting story I will share.  Steve Jobs planned every detail of his memorial service down to the farewell gift he gave to each attendee.  It was the book Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.  This book is about self-realization and meditation.  It’s about the journey from your individual self (ego) and realizing your true universal self.  I’m not surprised that Steve Jobs was into this.  Many accomplished men and woman subscribe to meditation.  If you ask me why, it’s because meditation helps you get out of your own way to success.  We self-sabotage so much.  We often get in the way of our own happiness and success.  We overthink.  We get lost in the noise.  I hope you try it and don’t get discouraged if it’s hard in the beginning.  You can even try guided meditations to help you get started.  I also use binaural beats sometimes to help me meditate.  But ultimately you want to get still and quiet.  Start with a few minutes and just keep increasing it.  Then you will start seeing the world from the inside out.  It’s a very different view I can tell you that. 

And if you are like me and around some people who don’t support meditation don’t let them discourage you from trying it.  Why?  Because they don’t know how to relate and they are the ones in a weak position.  It threatens their security, their existence and their beliefs.  You will be better off for it and they will just be stuck. 

LAY DOWN THOSE FUNKY BEATS

In a recent blog, The Art of Change, I talked about the importance of knowing how your brain works with regards to changing your life for the better.  Well I want to share with you a tool that I now use that helps my big beautiful brain create even more positive changes in my life.  It’s the coolest thing ever.  My latest obsession is BiNaural Beats.  BiNaural Beats were discovered back in 1839 by a German physicist, meteorologist and experimenter, H.W Dove.  A big shout out to H.W.! BUT what’s even cooler before BiNaural Beats were in the realm of science their usage had been found within many ancient cultures (I personally am not surprised!) such as; Native American Shamans, Tibetan Monks and Hindu Healers to name a few.  So what are they?  Land the plane Johanna!  They are a frequency or wave created by the brain that greatly contributes to the enhancement of any desired state like increased memory retention (listen up test takers!!!), higher creative states, meditation, deep relaxation, sleep, clear focus and much much more.  In order to understand this we must first understand how brain frequencies work: simply put, your brain operates at different frequencies depending on the state that you are in. These frequencies (Hz) are measured as the number of waves per second. 

BiNaural Beats purposefully create a specific frequency in your brain in order to reach a specific state. For example if you want to specifically increase your memory retention, a 10Hz Alpha Wave frequency (which contributes to super-learning) needs to be created. Your brain hears this frequency and begins to respond to it by allowing you to enter into the realm of super-duper learning.  I use these at the office when I want to really focus and bang out work or at home to simply help me sleep or meditate.  You have to use headphones in order for it to work though.   BiNaural Beats cannot be detected by the brain or heard while being played “outside the brain”. What physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove discovered, is that when two slightly different frequencies are introduced to each ear through headphones, the brain automatically meshes these two frequencies together in order to deal with their difference. It is this meshing that phenomenally creates a third frequency, which we call the BiNaural Beat and that is how the brain is able to comprehend what it is being thrown at it. It reconciles the difference between the two auditory frequencies and creates a third, in the center of your head. The third frequency needs to be less than or equal to 30Hz in order to be considered a BiNaural Beat, otherwise the frequencies cannot be meshed together and will be heard separately.  They are a ton of free videos on the interwebs with these.  Just google BiNaural Beats videos and you will see.  You can hear some with background music or just the beats alone.  My personal favorite is Thomas Hall’s You Tube Channel.  He’s got tons of amazing stuff.  He even has subliminal videos which I also use a lot of too.  I can personally tell you that they do work.  I’ve noticed a difference especially when I need to focus or have anxiety.  Enjoy and appreciate what your brain can do for you.  It’s a pretty amazing thing when you think about it.

The Art of Change

How can one truly change so they can experience more happiness, love, success and health in their lives?  It’s only when you change from the inside out that your external world will begin to change for the better.  One thing I have learned is that in order to understand and bring about positive changes in our lives we must first understand something that is pretty important in all of this…your brain!  Every action and behavior that we perform in our lives is organized by the brain.  Current neuro-scientific theory tells us that our brains have neuroplasticity that allows us to re-pattern our neural connections to produce the kind of behaviors and life that we really want and are so worthy of having.  We have far more power than previously thought.   So by understanding how your mind works, you can then begin to learn how to unlearn negative habits and beliefs that will help you create new results in your life. 

Neuroscience has proven that we can change our brains by just thinking differently.  Studies have shown that people who mentally rehearse a simple exercise demonstrate the same brain changes as people who physically performed the same movements.  So the brain doesn’t distinguish between the internal world of the mind and the external environment.  So when a time comes in your life to demonstrate a vision that is contrary to your current environment, think about or visualize your behavior in a future event, the easier it will be for you to execute a new way of being because the mind and body are unified to that end. 

But what happens when you talk yourself out of change?  It’s your feelings and emotions.  They are neuro-chemical memories of past events.  So you have to abandon past ways of thinking, acting and feeling so that you can move to a new outcome.  Dr. Joe Dispenza says that to change is to think and act greater than how you feel.  So make time to meditate, plan your future, mentally rehearse the behaviors you want to change and you will advance beyond your predictable genetic destiny.

I encourage you to watch this awesome short video I have posted on my quotes page by Dr. Joe Dispenza on your brain and making life changes.  He has a bachelor’s of science degree with an emphasis in neuroscience.

Cooking A Ham

At work and in everyday life, I’m reminded of a story that has circulated among coaching/therapeutic circles for years about the way to cook a ham. It goes like this:

A little girl noticed her mother cutting the butt end off the ham to cook it for the family holiday dinner and asked, “Why do you cut off the end to cook it?” The mother without giving it a moment’s thought, replied, “Why, this is the way my mother always cooked a ham, so I know it’s the right way to do it!” Well, the little girl’s grandmother happened to live close by, so she visited her and asked her the same question, “Grandma, why do you cut the butt end off the ham before you cook it?” Her grandmother replied that her mother had taught her to cook a ham like that. Great granny happened to be visiting for the holiday so the little girl went to her and asked the same question – and this time she got the “real” answer – “Child, when I was cooking hams back then, I only owned one baking pan and it was too small to hold a whole ham so I would cut the butt end off the ham to make it fit!”

This is how it works. We follow, without question, office policies/procedures, family dictums and internalized beliefs that generate nothing but misery or more work.  We as individuals continue to live out “the rules” from our family of origin without subjecting them to critical thinking.  Despite causing lots of stress, people often have adopted a set of irrational ideas that continue to frame their experience. And the sad and strange part is that they may never have personally experienced consequences from having tested the rules.

My latest show obsession that I’ve been binge watching is a show on Netflix called “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”.  The producer is “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane.  The host is American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.  The show pays homage to Carl Sagan’s series from 1980 by presenting scientific concepts about our entire universe.  Besides being a fascinating show (And I am not really that into science!), the reason I am bringing it up is because one thing Neil said that resonated with me is “Question everything”.  Even in the scientific world he says don’t take everything for face value.  Hmmm, if I recall wasn’t the world believed to be flat at one time?  The other thing he said that was critical in science is the openness in sharing research for progress to happen and to move knowledge forward.  I think you can apply that same thinking in life and in business.  We share information with each other in hopes of improving our workflow and our personal growth.  I am personally grateful to all the teachers and waves of information that have been pouring in for me this last year.  Otherwise, I would be in a very different place right now.  The old saying “when the student is ready the teacher will come” is so true! 

Our First and Last Love is Self-Love

What is self-love?  To me, it’s the moment we start loving and accepting who we really are and then recognizing what we need and putting our needs first.  To some it can sound and feel selfish because we have been raised to put others first.  But quite the contrary.  When we do this we begin to experience positive life shifts.  We became better parents, friends, employees, coaches, beings etc.  It's actually something we are born knowing, but we then become programmed and we forget.  Babies come into this world with a knowing that their needs will be met and loving themselves in the purest way.  Self-love is the fuel we need.  Self-love helps to gain a true sense of self.  And as your self-love expands it helps you to create loving boundaries.  Remember, you are always teaching people how to treat you.  I want to share with you an experience that gave me a new understanding of self-love and renewed zest for life.  I had a scare with my physical body and it made me appreciate not only this smart vessel we are trusted with, but also to appreciate the people in my life.  I learned it’s ok to ask for help from people that love you.  It’s part of self-love because I was making sure my needs were being met.  It’s important to treat our bodies like a loving vessel.  Because being able to do the smallest task is a beautiful thing and quite scary when you cannot.  What I also learned is that we are more powerful than we realize.  When things get scary or uncomfortable we can take action always.  We may even surprise ourselves.  I know I did.  My friends were amazing during this process.  They helped me beyond words can even describe.  I have a deeper understanding for how we really are here to help each other.  We learn, grow and benefit from each other and are pulled together for many reasons.  This experience also helped me gain a deeper understanding for loving our physical selves, giving it what it needs and respecting its boundaries.  It’s only doing the best it can for us always.  So go on and start practicing self-love and don’t feel guilty about it.  So many people around you will benefit from it in more ways than you will know, but more importantly so will you!

You Do You

Someone recently pointed out to me that many people are frightened by their own presence.  I can totally see that!  By that they mean that people instead tie themselves to systems, roles, images or predetermined identities that other people have settled for them.  And this may be at odds with what is really inside them.  So we compromise and settle for what is safe, rather than engaging with what is inside of us.  We hold back for a multitude of reasons.  And I am here to tell you DON’T. 

This all really resonated with me because two of my mantras are to be the best individual self that I can be and never be afraid to use my voice in a positive way.  That means to act and be me, not anyone else or how someone else thinks I should be.  If you have ever met me I am not your typical corporate America employee and that is ok.  I have unique gifts, skills and ideas that I still bring to my role and committees so that the firm, my clients and colleagues around me benefit. 

Don’t forget you are the CEO of your life.  Be true to you and your light and happiness will shine for many people around you.  So you do you and I'll do me.

There’s a Hole in my Sidewalk!

There’s a Hole in my Sidewalk By Portia Nelson

“I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place. But, it isn't my fault. It still takes me a long time to get out.

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in. It's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

I walk down another street.”

Can you relate?  I can!  To see our habits as our own may be the realization we need to make a change… and to find another way.  We don’t need to keep repeating what holds us back.  We are creatures of habit, but sometimes those habits no longer serve us and they just need to go.  I always say we always have choices in life.  We can choose to hold on to things or discard them.  And yes some of this is learned behavior we learned at a very young age.  And yes, this can affect your work.   You bring your entire self to work, don’t you?  The family is the original organization so we will bring learned behavior to work.  Breaking the cycle of pattern repetition can turn unhealthy family baggage into creative energy that will foster better workplace associations and career success.  Breaking patterns are hard, I know!  I’ve been breaking some big ones myself!  But I can promise you this, once you break through there is something better on the other side.  I’ve learned some creative efficient ways to break those patterns too.  So it can be done!  The first step is to observe yourself so you can be aware of them and then change can happen.  Transformation can be right around the corner.  When that happens, a new level of creativity can come about.  And that’s freedom! 

Happy New Year!!

Many blessings to you in the new year!  Johanna

Gratitude

One of the things that is new for me in my life is my awareness of what is all around me and how grateful I am for it all.  When I look around me at this moment in time as I write this blog, I appreciate the business partner that I have worked with for 20 years.  We have grown and supported each other through so much.  He is like family to me.  I look around and appreciate the funny coworkers I get to interact with that make me laugh so hard.  And I love how we play pranks on each other.  I appreciate the beautiful plants all around me that my colleague so graciously takes care of for all of us in my office.  We get to enjoy and benefit from their beauty every day thanks to her.  I appreciate my mentors, who guide me and build me up so graciously.  And my family, my friends, my tribe...I feel so at home when I am with them.  I'm especially thankful for my amazing daughter and faithful dog.  They are indeed the biggest gifts from the universe.  I haven’t always appreciated things or people to this degree.  This feeling and knowing has come with time and more awareness.  I’ve been reading a lot about the power of attraction and a common theme in these articles and books is being in tune with that feeling of gratitude.  I’ve noticed now the more I appreciate things the more they come.  This helps me move from a lack mentality to an abundance mentality.  We really are here to celebrate life and every day we get is truly a gift. 

Just Breathe…literally!

Have you ever noticed how you breathe when you feel relaxed? Breathing exercises can help you relax, because they make your body feel like it does when you are already relaxed. Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. So I want to share with you a breathing technique that I have been taught and use often that really helps me.  It is the Four-Seven-Eight Breath. All inhalations are done through your NOSE: all exhalations through your MOUTH.

1. Commence inhaling slowly, smoothly and deeply to a mental count of 4 seconds. Fill your lower lungs first (by pushing out your abdomen), then your middle and upper lungs.
2. Hold your breath for a mental count of 5 to 7 seconds.
3. Slowly and smoothly exhale for a mental count of 6 to 8 seconds.
4. As you exhale, try to let go of all your anxiety, tension & stress.

That’s one round. Pause briefly without inhaling then start another round. This natural pause is very therapeutic and relaxing.

Summary: Inhale for 4 seconds - Hold for 5 to 7 seconds - Exhale for 6 to 8 seconds - Pause briefly - Repeat.

Tips
    1. Can be done anywhere - on a bus, in a line, at work, before a test
    2. If you lose your breath, stop, breathe freely then try again
    3. With practice your pauses between rounds will naturally get longer

So remember…The way you breathe affects your whole body. Breathing exercises are a good way to relax, reduce tension, and relieve stress.  Breathing exercises are easy to learn. You can do them whenever you want, and you don’t need any special tools or equipment to do them.  I even do these with my daughter!  So teach your little ones!  Better yet, do it in front of them.  They learn just by watching everything you do.

SHARING OUR GIFTS

As both a student and teacher of human potential, my personal mantra is to be the best original version of my individual self in everything I do. 

I was recently reminded and re-inspired of this by the director at my daughter’s old preschool. January is the traditional teacher evaluation time for the preschool. The usual way of evaluating teachers is to conduct classroom observations, review goals and plans with teachers, and to make recommendations for improvement. This year, the director decided to mix things up a bit. She started with a one-on-one “thinking outside the box” conversation with each teacher. It was an opportunity for dreaming and planning for a better school and many teachers talked about ways to freshen their programs and themselves.  She asked each teacher to complete a “strengths survey,” which gave them a chance to talk about what they are best at and what they needed in order to develop this strength. Rather than focus on what we’re not good at (the typical way of examining ourselves), they were trying to identify their strengths and then find ways to capitalize on them to the benefit of all members of the school community. We should all do this! Any business model could benefit from this don’t you think?

How often do you think about your strengths? We rarely give ourselves the gift of acknowledging our talents or abilities, somehow deeming it not “proper” to do so. Even when someone else points out that we’ve done a great job or have an admirable trait, we defer the praise, saying for example, “Oh, I’m not so good” or we point out that someone else is better.

This topic reminds me of a company I am a little obsessed with called IDOLOGY. The founder, Caroline McHugh, has dedicated herself to helping individuals and top organizations be original versions of themselves, not pale imitations of each other.  Bottom line…being your authentic self is when you are your most creative, most productive and happiest. I encourage you to watch her inspiring TEDTalks video…The Art of Being Yourself:

I challenge all of you to do two things. First, acknowledge your gifts and be grateful for them. You have been blessed in a distinct way and to deny it is to not accept the gift which is an ungracious way of responding. Take joy in your special abilities. Second, share your gifts! You are members of many communities— job, family, school, neighborhood, church and all can benefit from what you offer. Sharing your gifts with others is letting your light shine. It lights the room for everyone present. Most of you probably know what your gifts are so celebrate and use them. Be the best original versions of your individual authentic selves!!

VULNERABILITY = COURAGE = SUCCESS

I recently discovered Brené Brown through a friend of mine.  Her research and wisdom is changing me as an individual and as a Coach.  She is a Research Professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Her books include: The Gifts of Imperfection and Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. 

In my google search of her, I stumbled upon her funny inspiring TedTalk Video: The Power of Vulnerability.  I encourage you to watch it.  Her videos have made quite an impact on me.  She talks about when she collected data on people for her research on the human connection she became fascinated on why some people were happier and more successful than others.  She was only going to devote 1 year to this study, but 6 years later she figured it out.  It was vulnerability!  Those that put themselves out there had a stronger sense of worthiness for happiness and success.  Our culture equates vulnerability with weakness, but really it is just the opposite.  Vulnerability is the courage to be imperfect, the courage to fail, it is the birthplace of creativity, innovation and change.  Every great leader and innovator has been vulnerable and that is when amazing things have happened.  Think about it.  In a another Tedtalk video Brene talks about an example of this, Myshkin Ingawale’s Tedtalk.  She describes a snipit of his talk…“He is on stage and he explains how he was driven to create some technology to help test for anemia because people were dying unnecessarily. And he said, "I saw this need. So you know what I did? I made it." And everybody just burst into applause, and they were like "Yes!" And he said, "And it didn't work.”  Then there was just silence from the audience.  Then he says, “And then I made it 32 more times, and then it worked!" That’s being vulnerable at least 33 times!"

So how does this apply to you or even me?  I need to be willing to put my ideas out there even though I fear of sounding stupid or too “out there”.  As a coach I need to be willing to try or create new techniques, philosophies and methods to train and help others succeed.  I may fail miserably, but failure is an opportunity to learn.  And remember, if an idea makes sense to everyone right away, how is that idea really innovative then?  History can remind us that most innovations when first presented seemed a little crazy to most.  So don’t be afraid to be vulnerable.  So when you are at work and you give it your all and ask your team to give it their all, you are all actually opening up.  So yes, even in the business world we are exposing ourselves and taking risks.  Let’s just start looking at vulnerability in a more positive productive way for the benefit of all involved. 

Emotional Intelligence

One thing I’ve learned along my journey is that even though we may speak the same language, many people don’t communicate the same way.  I think the underlying cause of this problem is usually a difference in personality style.  Style differences create changes in values, perceptions, motivation, and work approach.  These differences sometimes make it impossible to understand why people do what they do, why they avoid certain tasks, and why some people seem better suited to certain tasks and jobs.  I believe that when you are more aware of your own personality style and work habits then efforts can be funneled toward completing the goals and mission of any job in a more rewarding way for all involved.  So what do we need?  We need Emotional Intelligence. First I want to say that all emotions are very much needed because some view them as negative especially in the workplace.  Emotions are awesome because they guide us when facing situations and issues.  And that’s important to being your authentic self.  What’s key is the way we react to them that can make a positive difference in the outcome.  Emotional Intelligence helps us understand the following as they relate to the work environment as developed by Daniel Goleman:

·         Self-awareness—knowing one’s emotions, recognizing feelings as they occur, and discriminating between them.

·         Mood management—handling feelings so they're relevant to the current situation and you react appropriately.

·         Self-motivation—recognizing one’s feelings and directing oneself towards a goal, despite self-doubt, inertia, and impulsiveness.

·         Empathy—recognizing feelings in others and tuning into their verbal and nonverbal cues.

·         Managing relationships—handling interpersonal interaction, conflict resolution, and negotiations.

So how do you see your emotional intelligence to be at the present time?  Are there things you’ve mastered over the years or things you are still working on?  These skills and the way we see ourselves have crucial implications for us as employees, leaders, and ultimately team success.  Some of our biggest teachers in life are the people that trigger our emotional intelligence.  Look to them as a gift for they are giving you a chance to grow and they are showing you contrast. 

See Things Differently

You are probably all familiar with that famous perceptual illusion in which the brain switches between seeing a young girl and an old woman.  It teaches us that everything we see in the world can be interpreted in more than one way.  It is an invaluable way for people to learn that our view is not necessarily other people's view and that other people's view of things can be just as valid as ours, perhaps even more.  When we are willing to do things in a different way or different order it changes our experience and therefore we learn to be more flexible and more resilient. 

Reflecting

The end of the year has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, looking to the future and what you want to do with that time in the coming year.  I like to take this time to reflect on my past year’s behavior and promise to make positive lifestyle changes.  Setting small attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a singular overwhelming goal on January 1, can help me reach whatever it is I strive for.  I believe that it is not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at a time. 

I wish everyone much success with making your own resolutions and incorporating healthy and positive behavior into your everyday life!!

The Power of a Checklist

I am a big fan of checklists to get things done.  There is a great article by Bill Good just about this topic.  One thing the article mentions that I found fascinating is with any complicated industry a checklist can really cut down on errors.  He mentions how in the medical industry they found by just utilizing a simple checklist that consisted of 5 steps infection rates went from 11 percent to zero over the course of one year.  So how does that apply to you?  In many things in our personal or professional lives we have so many steps to remember that we too can benefit from a checklist, for example when going on vacation.  It is when we forget things that it hurts our confidence in ourselves.  I use checklist all the time.  I use them when I go on vacation and on projects at work all the time.  It helps me to put things on autopilot so that I can then focus on the unexpected things that can come up.  I am for anything that can make my life easier!

Vision Boards

You may have heard of vision boards, which have been featured on Oprah.  A vision board is a collage of pictures and words; it’s a vivid, inspiring reminder of what you want in your life, and a tool for making it happen.  You can use a vision board to achieve any goals that matter to you.

How does a vision board work? Images are the language of the unconscious: we dream in images, and when we’re awake, images impact us on a deeper level.  That’s why advertisers use images to influence all of us.  A vision board of powerful images can help you influence yourself:

Select 8-12 pictures (from magazines or the internet) that express what you’ve discovered in visioning, and assemble them into a collage. You may also want to write your essence words on the collage or add inspiring phrases from magazines. Finally, hang your vision board up where you’ll see it. Spend time every day looking at it, letting yourself feel and believe in what you see. Open your mind to receiving all the good that is available to you!  Then do something aligned with your vision.   Keep at it, and you can create miracles in your life.

Benefits of Having a Mentor/Coach

If you examine any successful person they typically have one thing in common: a mentor or life coach. Nearly every successful person in history had someone who they could confide in and learn from.

To be successful in life it is very important to have a mentor, a coach, someone with more experience than you, someone who is in a position in life that you desire to be in the future.

They offer valuable insight to things that only experience can teach as well as a host of other things. They have fruit on their tree which shows they have paid the price to be in a position to offer wisdom to you if you need it.

The following points will put into perspective the importance of having a good mentor and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have someone in your corner that is knowledgeable about many things:

•          Individual recognition, encouragement, and support
•          Increased self-esteem and confidence
•          Confidence to challenge oneself to achieve new goals and explore alternatives
•          A realistic perspective
•          Advice on how to balance work and other responsibilities and set priorities
•          Better chances of success
•          Valuable experience

 “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” –Oprah Winfrey

Rethink Your Workspace

So I’ve been talking about being more aware.  One thing that I am aware of is how I am very much affected by my surroundings.  I am a visual person so this doesn’t surprise me.  My environment plays a significant role in my energy and efficiency.  Plus my desk is an expression of me so it’s also very important for me to personalize my space.  Remember the old saying…a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind?  For me this is very true, which is why I can’t have clutter.  We now have abundant research that tells us that a workspace can improve productivity and overall well-being.  Some people can work in any space as is and they feel just fine.  Good for them!  But if you aren’t one of those people there’s nothing wrong with putting together a workspace that you feel good about.  I was feeling a little blah about my work and desk space lately, so I decided to give it a mini make-over. 

I already had things like a water fountain that sounds very soothing and lamp that give off a nice warm glow.  But I knew I could take it to the next level.  I wanted to smile every time I opened my drawers (especially one of the critical drawers…the snack drawer!).  I ordered a new lamp shade and lined my drawers with happy paper and inspiring quotes.  And yes I even have one that says “hello gorgeous!”.  It also gave me the opportunity to do a spring cleaning and major purging.  That felt great!  You can also get very creative with things and sometimes you don’t even have to spend a dime.  I took a look around my house to see if there were some things there that I could bring in and sure enough there were.  However, I did treat myself to things like a nice pair of fancy scissors, gold ruler, retro tape dispenser etc.  I use a glass vase to hold my new matching pencils.  I found these great drawer organizers that have gold mirrors as the base.  I also made sure I had a cute way to display my daughter’s art work.  I personally think something green and living is a must in an office space.  I love plants, but if you are not good with them consider an air plant.  They are super easy and you can display them in very cool ways.  I will tell you that this mini makeover did the trick.  Not only is this sort of creative project fun for me, but I feel so much better about my space.  I feel more put together, renewed and inspired!  That’s exactly what I needed. 

Harnessing Feelings For Positive Change

Feeling down can help us identify what is wrong and motivate us to seek change.  Being uncomfortable can be a crucial part of transformation.   But sometimes we can have a hard time identifying a feeling.  I know I do sometimes.  I recently learned something about myself.  I’m more in my head then in touch with my physical body.  So I started paying attention to my physical responses.  For example, when I’m mad sometimes my jaw feels tense.  This is a sign of anger.  Once I identify that sign, I then think of what behavior caused the emotion I am feeling.  I once read a tip about making a list of pros and cons to what just happened.  This enables you to see clearly what works and what doesn’t work and then you avoid certain things or keep doing what works.  I think that is a great idea because clarity can propel forward action.  I am a big believer in putting pen to paper on anything you want to change in your life.  There is something about the intention that goes behind this process.  In my opinion it starts to move stagnant energy.  Another practice I recently started doing and have already seen some positive results from is “imagine a redo”.  So imagine a situation that didn’t go as well as you planned.  It could have been a client meeting or a conversation with a loved one.  Then redo the situation over again in your mind but this time with exactly the way you wanted it to go.  I’ve noticed that when I do this it helps me identify what I would have done differently and in a way it changes the energy around it…usually for the better!  And PLEASE...always remember to be compassionate with yourself!  A collegue came to me recently about a mistake he made on an email to a client.  He was so hard on himself.  I told him to say to himself exactly what he would have said to a friend or even a child.  Why?  Because we wouldn’t dismiss or blame them.  We would listen and be sympathetic.  We should treat ourselves with that same compassion.  The more we become our own best friends the more our lives expand.  We are all human and I always say we live and learn.  Practices like these help me feel even more confident and capable of mastering what life is going to throw my way.